Accessing location-based information on a mobile device

ABSTRACT

A method for accessing location-based information on a mobile device. In the method, a processor on the mobile device identifies a location, determines whether a location wireless network is available, determines geographical coordinates of the location in response to determining that the location wireless network is not available, calculates a URL using the geographical coordinates and calculates a default HTML, and displays one or more pages created by the default HTML.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to mobile devices, and moreparticularly to accessing location-based information on a mobile device.

Easy access to Internet has revolutionized the way in which we gatherinformation about a subject or interest topic. People no longer have towait for information in conventional media, such as newspapers,magazines, television channels; instead, people can get the informationfrom Internet as per convenience and requirement. The recent innovationsin making the computational devices much more portable have made it evenmore convenient for end users to get the information. Now, the users nolonger have to be confined in walls looking at a desktop to get theinformation. The users can carry the devices, such as laptops, netbooks,smartphones, and tablets, and get the information on the move. Whilethere have been tremendous advancements in the devices, the mechanismfor searching the information has remained pretty constant. For example,a user is standing in a movie theater and wants to use a handheld deviceto get the schedules of movies which are playing or will be playing. Theuser has to do a search to find a correct website of a company who ownsthe movie theater. The user will be given a long list and have tomanually find the correct one from the long list. Clearly, this approachputs the onus for reaching the information on consumers. It is alose-lose situation for both consumers and businesses. Businesses loseopportunities if their customers cannot reach their sites easily;customers, on the other hand, can feel frustrated and spend more insearching for correct sites.

SUMMARY

A method for accessing location-based information on a mobile device isprovided. The method is implemented by a process on the mobile device.The method includes identifying a location, determining whether alocation wireless network is available. The method further includesdetermining whether a default HTML including information of the locationis available, in response to determining that the location wirelessnetwork is available. The method further includes determininggeographical coordinates of the location, in response to determiningthat the location wireless network is not available or in response todetermining that the default HTML is not available. The method furtherincludes calculating a URL using the geographical coordinates andcalculating the default HTML. The method further includes displaying oneor more pages created by the default HTML that that is calculated. Themethod further includes, in response to determining that the defaultHTML is available, displaying the one or more pages created by thedefault HTML that is available.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing operational steps for accessinglocation-based information on a mobile device, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating components of a mobile device hosting acomputer program for accessing location-based information on a mobiledevice, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In embodiments of the present invention, an intelligent system providesa standard mechanism which allows a portable device to access locationspecific resources based on its geographical location withoutremembering any URLs (uniform resource locators) or invoking a searchfor retrieving such URLs. Further, the system establishes a bridgebetween an information provider and a consumer, removing the need forany external tools like web search, bookmarking, etc.

The system has the following advantages. (1) A user can fetch thelocation specific information quickly. The user just has to remember onestandard URL. Furthermore, the system can use a mobile application or abrowser plugin, which can automatically fetch contents from thisstandard URL. (2) The system is beneficial to information suppliers. Theinformation suppliers can provide different content to audience who areactually present in their locations. (3) The system allows the providersto attract customers by running schemes such as lucky draws without thehassle of manually collecting entry forms, or bombarding SMS withconfiguration settings to customers. (4) The system can provide moreprecise information about their surroundings. For example, in a shoppingmall, the user can be made aware of various stores, offers running,promotional schemes, emergency exits, etc. For example, in a movietheater, the information can have an entire movie list of the specificmovie theater. (5) A user can retrieve all the information withoutremembering or searching the URLs of the location.

There are two standard ways of accessing information. The first way islocal. Whenever a user is within a range of a wireless network, forexample a WIFI network, the wireless network can enable a default pagesuch as /information.html. (Note: the term “WIFI” may be subject totrademark rights in various jurisdictions throughout the world and areused here only in reference to the products or services properlydenominated by the marks to the extent that such trademark rights mayexist.) This way allows internal navigation to resources that apublisher wants to share with consumer; for example, movie schedules ina specific movie theater, promotions, notices, etc. The second way isexternal. A device automation concatenates geographical coordinates andaccesses a URL such as http://geo-cords/information.html to display oneor more pages.

Embodiments of the present invention are now described in detail withreference to the accompanying FIGs.

FIG. 1 is flowchart 100 showing operational steps for accessinglocation-based information on a mobile device, in accordance with oneembodiment of the present invention. The steps are implemented by acomputer program for accessing location-based information on a mobiledevice. In the discussion with reference to FIG. 1, WIFI is used as anexample of a wireless network.

At step 101, the computer program identifies a new location. At decisionblock 102, the computer program determines whether a location WIFI isavailable. In response to determining that the location WIFI is notavailable (NO branch of decision block 102), the computer program, atstep 103, determines geographical coordinates of the new location. Atstep 105, the computer program calculates a desired URL using thegeographical coordinates and a default HTML, such ashttp://geo-cords/information.html. At step 106, the computer programdisplays one or more pages created by the default HTML that includesinformation of the new location. At this step, the URL calculated atstep 105 is used to access the location-based information.

In response to determining that the location WIFI is available (YESbranch of decision block 102), the computer program, at decision block104, determines whether a default HTML is available. In response todetermining that default HTML is available (YES branch of decision block104), the computer program processes step 106 to display the one or morepages created by the default HTML that includes information of the newlocation. Under this situation, an available URL of the location is usedto access the location-based information.

In response to determining that the default HTML is not available (NObranch of decision block 104), the computer program processes steps103-106 to determine the geographical coordinates of the new location,calculates the desired URL using the geographical coordinates andcalculates the default HTML, and then displays the one or more pagescreated by the default HTML that includes information of the newlocation, by accessing the URL calculated at step 105.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating components of mobile device 200 hostingcomputer program 235 for accessing location-based information on mobiledevice 200, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.It should be appreciated that FIG. 2 provides only an illustration ofone implementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to theenvironment in which different embodiments may be implemented.

Referring to FIG. 2, mobile device 200 includes processor(s) 220, memory210, and tangible storage device(s) 230. In FIG. 2, communications amongthe above-mentioned components of mobile device 200 are denoted bynumeral 290. Memory 210 includes ROM(s) (Read Only Memory) 211, RAM(s)(Random Access Memory) 213, and cache(s) 215. One or more operatingsystems 231 reside on one or more computer readable tangible storagedevice(s) 230. The computer program 235 for accessing location-basedinformation on mobile device 200 resides on one or more computerreadable tangible storage device(s) 230. One or more computer programs233 for other functionalities of mobile device 200 also reside on one ormore computer readable tangible storage device(s) 230. Mobile device 200further includes I/O interface(s) 250. I/O interface(s) 250 allows forinput and output of data with external device(s) 260 that may beconnected to mobile device 200. Mobile device 200 further includesnetwork interface(s) 240 for communications between mobile device 200and a wireless network.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device, such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network(LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and/or a wireless network. The networkmay comprise copper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers,wireless transmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computersand/or edge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++, and conventionalprocedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language,or similar programming languages. The computer readable programinstructions may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on theuser's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user'scomputer and partly on a remote computer, or entirely on the remotecomputer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may beconnected to the user's computer through any type of network, includinga local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or theconnection may be made to an external computer (for example, through theInternet using an Internet Service Provider). In some embodiments,electronic circuitry including, for example, programmable logiccircuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), or programmable logicarrays (PLA) may execute the computer readable program instructions byutilizing state information of the computer readable programinstructions to personalize the electronic circuitry in order to performaspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture, including instructions which implement aspectsof the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagramblock or blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the FIGs illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the FIGs. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for accessing location-based informationon a mobile device, the method comprising steps: identifying, by aprocessor on the mobile device, a location of the mobile device;determining, by the processor, whether a wireless network at thelocation is available, the wireless network accessible by the mobiledevice; determining, by the processor, whether a default HTML includinginformation of the location is available, in response to determiningthat the location wireless network is available; determining, by theprocessor, geographical coordinates of the location, and calculating, bythe processor, a URL and the default HTML using the geographicalcoordinates, in response to determining that the wireless network at thelocation is not available and in response to determining that thedefault HTML is not available; displaying, by the processor, one or morepages created by the default HTML that is calculated; and in response todetermining that the default HTML is available, displaying, by theprocessor, the one or more pages created by the default HTML that isavailable.